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Hello all!  It has been quite a long time since I last posted here.  As this post's title suggests, a lot has changed for me.  I am finally a mom!!  Benjamin Lee Yoshimitsu Kemble was born September 26th, 2013 at 7 lbs 4 oz. and is going to be two months old in just a few days.

It has changed everything as many people told me it would.  I have been consumed with caring for him, adjusting to the worst kind of sleep deprivation I've ever experienced, along with post partum depression (that is finally gone, Thank you Lord), and also falling in love like I've never fallen in love before.  It is actually hard for me to remember what life was like before him.  I am at the same time facing the end of my maternity leave in just one more month and hoping I can juggle work, Benjamin, and, hopefully, a bout of freelance work!  Some of the work I did while I was pregnant is soon to be available as well.  A new company, Kayu Media, is launching their first interactive children's book titled The Story of Rotten Lucy Grace, illustrated by yours truly and written by Julia Walton.

Also, some paintings I did for Fadenrot are now available as jewelry!




I expect that posting will stay a bit sporadic for a while but I hope eventually to get back on track with my career.

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My twin, Mei, was blogged about in the Vacation Adventure Society Blog!

She drew a three-page comic with her own version of the Kill Joy comic (written by Gerard Way, Shaun Simon, and drawn by Becky Cloonan).  It took a long time for her to complete and I remember going over her roughs and talking about font types and reference (Akira manga car-chase scenes were a super awesome help- see example).
Anyway, they sought her out to get her pages posted!  Pretty rad, eh?

So, if you want to see click here.

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Download the newest episodes...and check out their blog to comment.
YAY!

:)

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Lots of news and more art!  Josh and I found out that we are having a baby boy just last week, I started a new book project with a new company (that for the time being is still top secret- although I was given the ok to post an occasional work-in-progress image so long as I blur any text and don't give too much away), and I still have final images to create for Fadenrot!

Phew!

I wish so much that I could post the entire PDF of my storyboards for this story as it is very funny... and I'm pretty happy with the images.  I tried to be a lot more loose and a little more "cartoony" with the figures... I think it just fit the story more.  So far, this has been a fun project!

I'm also well into the second trimester of the pregnancy and the morning sickness is truly behind me.  That was SO hard.  Four months of being sick as a dog, and sometimes for the entire day (!!), and just in a total haze... I missed feeling normal... but as I said, I am back, and working hard!  :)  This has been already pretty crazy but at the same time, I'm sure things have yet to change... hee hee... lucky for me I have plenty of girl friends who have just gone through or are going through this at the same time.  I'm sure having a little guy to draw will be very fun, too, and hopefully, we can draw together in the future, my little bean and I... ;)

Fadenrot is always going to be my favorite client... I describe the way we work together to other artists and it is always the "ideal" situation/relationship... I get a theme (and these themes are always wonderfully inspiring and something I would LOVE to draw) and then I sketch like crazy these things that come to mind and my client picks and chooses what she likes... I do some revising, some fine-tuning, and then there it is!!  A new image for her to print and show the world!  It's the best... especially because sketching always inspires some really great ideas for me... :)  It's also just kind of cool to see your art on clothing!  :)

I'm just feeling very grateful, I suppose, and had to share... :)
So here are images to reflect what I am writing here...

First, our Benjamin Lee Yoshimitsu at 5 months:

Second, a single spread of my storyboards for this new project:

I already posted the sketches I made for Fadenrot so I will wait to post the final images when they are finished.

:)
Cheers!

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So I know I have been a bit MIA from my blog... which is rare, but I found out several months ago that I was pregnant :o  and so I have been dealing with that along with some pretty intense morning sickness!!  I am now safely in my second trimester and feeling well enough and at a point that I can write about it.
Josh and I are excited (it was planned) and looking forward to meeting our "Boo."  We won't know what we're having until a few more weeks but I really just want someone healthy!

Anyway...!!!

I have sketches!!  Lots of Fadenrot work... and some fun sketches I was inspired to do as I was watching Coraline... (I watch that movie a LOT).

Possible book project in the future with a starter company... possible other projects... lots of life changes... so we'll see where it all leads!! I am pleased to have you with me!!!

;)

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Please visit and like the new Etsy page! ;)

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Let me just say that I am busy!  I wish it were more to do with freelance work, but it isn't... I've blogged before about working on my mom's house and that is taking much of my time.  However, it's slowly... very slowly... going to get done and so I also have a strong sense of accomplishment (??).  We have for many years wanted to upgrade and renew my mom's house... and it is finally being done.  Of course, we are also planning on selling it, too, so it may be a short lived sense of accomplishment, but I think it will still be nice to know that we DID it.  :)
Josh was saying that he thinks people get a different kind of feeling when they do things or create things than when they get the easy way or someone else to do it for them... and its a GOOD kind of different- the kind that makes you feel like you are ALIVE.  :)  I totally agree.  And its not really a pride thing either... more that you are just sort of satisfied more when you do something yourself and make something out of it.
So, that's good...

:)

BUT, like I said, I'm still really busy!  Since a lot of time is spent working on the house, the free time I do have is spent more cleaning, cooking, and trying to sketch ideas for collectible figurines, a small project for my niece's school auction, and submissions to publishers/magazines, etc.  I ordered postcards and have a list going but haven't made the labels or actually sent them yet... I have sketches for my niece and more ideas sketched for the figurines...

So, I hope that this post makes some sense... I am writing it before I have to go to bed.. sigh.

Well, here are the sketches... :)

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So here is a little preview of what my husband, Josh Kemble, is up to... its turning out to be a really cool blog.
He has some other ideas and challenges up on his site!  Check it out!

Design A Day Challenge
Posted on January 20, 2013So, I’m going to try to make a new cool image every day for as long as possible, and will most likely miss a few days, but I think it’s a worthy challenge. As an illustrator I’d like to make more often than I consume, and believe this will be a worthwhile endeavor. So, without further ado, I will be posting each new thing on this blog entry, along with the date it was created.
3. January 21, 2013 “Wine-0″ t-shirt/poster designWine-O Design On White
I wanted to do a design in a minimalistic style, since I rarely work that way, and the whole point of this project is to play with the challenge to make designs daily, while expanding my visual style. I realized that there was something to be mined conceptually playing with the letter O in the word Wino. So, above is my final solution on white. Here’re the other color versions:

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Ok, so here is a sneak preview of the final image I did for Fadenrot.  The theme is martime, as I've blogged about before, and I hope that it captured all ideas!  In any case, it took a LONG time to clean all of these images and place them "just so" but it was well worth it... I'm quite happy!

I still haven't forgotten my "French Country" theme ideas and I know I've got to get some postcards sent out, too, so there's still lots and lots to be done!

:)
How are you?

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I had posted some earlier sketches for an illustration of the poem Wynken, Blynken, and Nod but here is an updated version...
I also got approval on my maritime fabric designs so I will be cleaning up those images so I can send them off!

Lovely Monday!

Text of Poem:

Text of poem

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe —
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea —
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
Never afeard are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam —
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea —
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.^[2]

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I am working on some revisions and to warm-up I did a couple sketches that I am digging... :)

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Click here to check out Art Prints... offer good until Jan 13th... ;)

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And so our holiday ends and the New Year is here and moving quickly...    I had a nice week of family and presents and fun.  Josh and I rarely take that much time off and it was actually kind of hard not to think about work.  I received many awesome presents (including some  books like It's a Small World - illustrated by Chou and the Annotated Anne of Green Gables) and was able to see nephews and nieces.   Of course, now it's all over and I must return to work and being work-oriented!  It's only been two days and I am still a bit out of sorts.

I am posting here some sketches that I did a before the holiday and some during... One of my friends does freelance for Holiday figurines and I was reminded of this when Christmas came around. I thought I would try sketching some ideas... maybe venture into this field?  Still not totally sure... and probably should ask for his advice. ;)





I am also anxious to send out some postcards and promo pieces soon...  I am really hoping that work might come in this month soon or at least by February.  The sketches below are actually more for a painting I might use... it's that poem about Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod... and maybe at first the Neverending Story...;)

On a more personal note, I've been reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller... it's a great read.  Very funny.  Messy and yet, honest and straight-forward.  It isn't PC and edited or tame... and not preachy at all.  I read eight chapters all last night and had to force myself to put it down.  I'm hoping to read more soon.  Wish I could read more books in general.

Josh and I watched Shall We Dance with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers tonight (Josh is sick with a sinus infection and miserable so he's taking the night off).  I bought this for him as a stocking stuffer... we both adore these movies as well as the dancing.  I was always a big Gene Kelly fan as well.  It reminded me of how much I love dancing and how much I used to watch the Turner Classic movies on television.  I think that it's funny Josh and I were both so in love with these movies when we were kids.  In fact, Josh loves these movies so much when he was a little boy, he wanted to be just like Fred Astaire and wear the fancy top hats and suits.  So this holiday season he was able to get a couple three-piece suits as presents, too.  He needs them for work anyway, but I think its cool...  :) Old-timey cartoonist style is his ideal I'm sure (like Frank King!).  Wouldn't mind some of Ginger Roger's dresses myself.  ;)

So anyway,  I hope you are all good and happy and healthy.  Cheers to the New Year!  And let's all get working!

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More images of my current studio space... painting in progress is a fabric print for German Fashion label Fadenrot and the theme is maritime ♥

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I was asked to draw some images to be printed on fabric...the theme: maritime wonders!  I will be added a few more elements... but I really had fun with this... I have been kind of interested in prints and licensing... so who knows?
Its pretty rough but I hope it is clear enough to get the idea.

I have another French Country sketched out as well but its still too rough to show.
The story is slowly coming together... ;)

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Happy Be-lated Thanksgiving!  I have been busy preparing food, eating, and spending time with family!  Starting tomorrow it's back to work, though.  I feel like my brain is still in quite a daze... too much food and sleep- more than I'm used to!  Of course the coming month of December brings Christmas and so there is still much more to look forward to and be thankful for... :)  I am grateful to have a new project from Fadenrot to start the new month as well.

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When you click on this link it re-directs you to my site and you can then use the $5 off.
:)

but it only works from this link.

Just FYI....
I did add some of the newer paintings there to if anyone is interested.
Thanks!

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Here is the painting that I did for a series I thought of doing... It is based on French Country Home Interiors that I love.  I just like to bring a narrative into these wonderful backgrounds/settings :) So I used some reference and altered them to make them into an image I liked..... and also thought up a character.

I have a couple planned out so come back to see the next couple of paintings... ;)  The narrative will get more interesting as the paintings are completed.

Tomorrow is Josh's MFA show so I will be busy helping him set up... I am so proud of him!! He's been working on this for SO long... I think it will be awesome!! I hope to post some pictures of that event as well.

Cheers!

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I wanted to wait to post this until I was sure all the images were available, but you can now buy not only adorable lingerie, but totes, jackets, hats, etc as well with the new Marie Antoinette inspired images... ;)  I always try to mention that not all of these are my images- you can see which are mine by referencing my website under my "freelance images" link.

Thanks for checking it all out by clicking here!  Use the left hand sidebar to select other mechandise categories!

:)  I'm so happy to see these all on actual merch!! Never gets old!

PS: if you just love this tote, click on the image to go directly to that item's page.  I might have to get one myself... I'm sorry to be so crazy but I'm just so excited to see my illustrations on bags and jackets :)    I'm so happy!

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So Fadenrot has more merchandise available with my images printed on them here!
These are so adorable :)

Please check them out!
Here is another example....

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One of my loves is home furnishings and decorations.  I really love victorian homes, french country homes, london townhomes, and many others.  So, I decided to use these as themes/starting images for a new series of paintings.  They don't have stories (yet?) but when I see photos of these interiors I can't help but add a little character into the picture in my mind.  I think I have this habit almost in any picture :)

So here is a sketch:

I'm really excited because Fall has definitely and finally come to stay here in southern California as well!  As Josh and I drove home to cast our ballots, there was heavy mist and the crisp cool air had that special Holiday quality to it that only happens once a year... ;)  I've been waiting for it as Fall is my most favorite time of year.  I really can't believe that Thanksgiving is this month!!!  Already!!  Many changes are around the corner for me.... Josh is finishing his MFA program, my best friend is having her first baby girl (Paige is her name- same as one of my most favorite illustrators!), and hopefully, a new Rep and a renewed spirit and drive toward getting to be full-time illustrator and part-time ASW employee (instead of the other way around).  There are other things but a little too personal to post about.... but this month has just felt like the culmination of changes to come!  I'm excited and happy and so very grateful for everything I have... :)

I'm not the greatest writer, but oh well... I hope it all makes sense.
:)

Cheers!

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Another little painting... :)

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